When experiencing symptoms of continual varying mood swings, along with an array of many other symptoms, one may wonder if they in fact may have bipolar syndrome. Looking into your family history may give you some answers on what may lie ahead for in terms of your possible diagnosis.

It has long been known that bipolar is a genetic disorder and tends to run down the family tree line. With that being said, it does not mean that you are most certainly predisposed to carrying the gene if say, your mother has been diagnosed with bipolar. What it means is that your chances are increased compared to a person that has no family history of this disorder. Your chances increase by approximately 5-15% if you have one parent that has been diagnosed. These chance increases significantly if you have the rare case of having both parents carry this gene. Your approximate chances then would be increased to about 10-30%. Even if neither of your parents have this disorder, it is still a possibility that the gene is carried in your family, say through a grandmother, aunt / uncle, or possibly even a sister. Your risks then become very minor, and the chances you will have of inheritance will be very minimal.

Another determining factor is the amount of members in your family that have been diagnosed, not just who. If there only seems to be one to three family members your chances of carrying the gene are still small. Once the numbers reach 3 or more family members your chances greatly increase, regardless of relation.

There are no precise determining factors when trying to figure out how the gene is inherited, or who will end up carrying it, these numbers can help to establish your risks of carrying the gene and the possibilities of passing it on to your own children.

This Article is by Stefanie Madyco. Educate Yourself More About Bipolar Disorder Genetic Facts and Learn More About Coping With Bipolar At The Bipolar Medication Guide

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